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However, as Pate has highlighted, what is significant is that Hina-matsuri
is not just “for the amusement of little girls [but]… a serious ceremonial”. 52
Adding to this tone is the element of belief that, to the Japanese people,
hina-ningyō are not merely dolls but solemn entities with souls:
Traditionally hina-ningyō were seen as yorishiro (temporary lodging places) for spirits
to come down and bless the home. Literally inhabiting the bodies of these dolls for
the duration of the festival, these spirits were entertained and welcomed into the
home in order to secure blessings and protection for the coming year. The focus of
these early rites rested squarely on the central doll pair… (lord and lady from the
inner palace) combined with offerings, libations, and lacquered accessories (dōgu)
providing for all of the spirits’ needs, ensuring their contentment and goodwill. 53
From the early-seventeenth century when this ritual began as an almost
exclusive practice for the benefit of the élite, through to the eighteen
hundreds as it was opened up to people from all walks of life as a seasonal
festival, on to the present day, these dolls have been believed to be
talismanic spirits with the power to purify the home and protect children.
However, it is not only hina-ningyō that are said to contain spiritual
power. According to Ellen Schattschneider, there exists a “widely reported
sensibility in Japan that [all] ningyō (dolls) have a kind of soul (tamashii) and
that they may carry the identity, motivation or essence of a person who has
made, given or owned them”. 54
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